Topic: Seeley 519

[jaguar]

I mostly meant that in jest.
I have seen that it was mounted up with these parts.  More talking about how it was last used.
Have found stuff "mocked up" with parts, but they were not what was actually used.
Like anything, it was built up a million times so who really knows what was what.
It's just a talking point, not a huge deal.

[Swoop]

Glad that I could help you.

Steve

[scottly]

Did the bike the sprocket carrier came from have a K7/8 motor installed? There should be 1" between the side of the sprocket and the swing arm tube; if you only have about .6", it is the wrong carrier.

[jaguar]

Okay, I’m embarrassed to all hell about how much trouble I have had with the rear of this stupid bike.  Even more so about the rash of post with little forward movement.

So I was working on stuff this weekend.  Let the dog get drunk instead.

Does something look odd to you?  No not the black velvet…..really?  Who drinks that?

So I was just failing to try hard enough with mounting the rear wheel.
In this picture I have the two Seeley spacers, the CB750 sprocket carrier and drum all on the CB750 Lester.  Seems to all go together fairly well.
But the wheel just looks like it is about half an inch off center.  I am eying the rear frame hoop and the swing arm.  I am assuming that the swing arm is symmetrical, but don’t see how that is a bad assumption.  Also how could the rear frame hoop not be centered?  Crudely tried to measure the center.  Confirmed what I was talking about.


In the picture it is closer to just a quarter of an inch off.
Did notice this.

But the spacer is seated against the bearing so unsure this could be it.

I know that I have gotten responses from a few people about different ways to align motorcycles I am honest that I fail to visualize what has been said.

What is a simple and effective way of ‘pluming’ the bike?

Starting to greatly fear that something is not as straight as it should be.
On the other hand I did see that the swing arm has a little side to side slop in the frame.  Really can not measure much until the head bearings and the swing arm pivot are 100% installed as they should be.

As always; one step forward and two steps back.

[Stev-o]

My buddy, when we were poor college kids, drank Black Velvet!

[scottly]

In the last pic, it looks like the swing arm tube is bent right behind the shock mount, as well as deformed on the side facing the sprocket???

[jaguar]

It does.
Odd that I didn't see that when looking directly at the parts.
Will need to investigate that next time I am in the shop.  Really hope that it is just an optical illusion in the photograph.

[Greggo]

It does.
Odd that I didn't see that when looking directly at the parts.
Will need to investigate that next time I am in the shop.  Really hope that it is just an optical illusion in the photograph.

It very well could be...don't trust a close up picture like that where the lens could be flaring, check it in person.

[Swoop]

Looks to me like the left swingarm tube is higher than the right. This pushes everything at the top to the right. Maybe put a level on it?
JMO
Steve

[BPellerine]

wheel should be in the centre of the bike,maybe take two straight edges and put on either side of rear wheel and see how it line up with the front?bill p

[jaguar]

Wanted to post about time frames on projects.  While I know that some of my larger “builds” have taken many more years then I thought they would ever take, and some never got finished, I am always amazed to see what other people are able to accomplish in a set time frame.  I am baffled and envious of threads that I see constant and steady work being done.  Seems like in just a few weeks the owner is done and off enjoying their new bike.  Have even watched people do this with bikes that I owned at one point.  I always wonder what the magic ingredient is.  Do these people have more money?  Less friends?  An amazing inner drive?  Better tools?

For me personally I enjoy to putz around in the shop on a big project.  Often in the time it takes me to finish one major project a million others enter and leave the shop.  Have assumed that the added distraction of the additional projects elongates the major one.  This might be true, it probably is.   

I have never been a person to put a deadline on my stuff.  When I started the Seeley I was talking to a number of friends and decided to actually shoot for the Mid Ohio event as a target to get the bike “done”.  Being honest with myself I didn’t see it as overly realistic, nor did I really care to push to reach the goal.  While someone could do this, I don’t think I can.  That is not to say the bike will never be finished, but rather that it would not be complete in a few short months.  I am juggling travel with a new job, and the rest of life. 

That all being said I did view the Seeley in a different way.  This is the first time I am starting a project in a location that I am settled.  The rest where done while going back to school, changing jobs and just having my whole life in flux.  I also overly complicate things by adding new projects on top of others and constantly distracting myself.  This time was a chance to be different.  First was that I didn’t have anything else to distract me.  Actually I struggled to even find shop space to use.  The assumption was that I would turn a new leaf and finally be one of those guys that just cranks though a project.

But alas I am not.  This is not an admission of defeat, a cry for help or any of that junk.  Just a simple observation along my Hipsteresk quest to play with vintage performance motorcycles.  I go though times where I spend hours wrenching, working and making headway, then weeks with zero movement.  It just kind of is what it is.  No complaints at all.

This introspective came after a long few weeks of personal issues.  My soon (well at some point) father in law had a stroke.  While he is no where near out of the woods yet, he is stable.  Him and I work in a very similar way.  We both enjoy the time spent just doing stuff.  We built a Lionel train set, fixed the deck and would go spend time shooting trap or target shooting.  All of these things I gladly did rather then wrench on a broken motorcycle.  It just reaffirmed my belief that all of this stuff should be above all fun.

Weather has broken and I brought my CB1100F up to Albany to be my daily mount.  Had thought about selling it, but couldn’t give it away for what ever reason.  So she stays and will get some use.  I do have plans this week to get into the garage and hack away at the Seeley.  Had some time quick last week to ease my fears of a twisted frame and what not.  With some simple levels I feel that everything is inline with what it needs to be.  Will get more detailed next time. 

It is fun looking back a few months to when I thought I could just find a solid running bike an swap everything over a weekend….lol

I do want to also thank everyone that has PMed me with offers to help make or source parts.  I have had some stupid questions, needed help with simple stuff and just not understood other things.  Personally I love to just learn and such.  Have gotten to talk to other owners and even Colin!  At the end of the day I am having a blast and that’s the important bit.

[01Thomas]

Yes well, I've been busy on one particular bike for around 15 years and three relocations! And in that time I've rebuilt about 6 other bikes... so you're not alone!

[jaguar]

Good to hear I am not alone

[jaguar]

Most amazing update ever!

Not really.
Weather was nice so I was out riding my CB1100F.
Also all of the shop time I had this weekend was devoted to doing maintenance on the CB1100F
-New battery
-New fork seals
-Fixed the brake light switch.
Basic general junk she needed.  Found a few small things that will need to be addressed soon too.

Anyway, back to the Seeley.

Installed a center stand that a DTT member was kind enough to ship to me.
Since the bike doesn't have a side stand it make life in the garage a million times easier.



No more jack stands!

Hope to have some time this week to get some stuff done.
Putting a large list together of OEM parts I need to order to start getting the motor running.

[01Thomas]

:-)

[Roach Carver]

That's progress. You ought to get you one of those pit bull stands. I have one for a bike I have with no side stand. I roll it around like a tricycle.

[jaguar]

This might be getting slightly ahead of myself, but I would like to talk tires.  Since I am trying to keep this project from taking over my friends garage I would like to get it built up into a roller as fast as possible.  I will use the stock wire wheels from the parts bike for now, but the faster I can swap on the Lester mags the better.  My plan is to use the stock wheels to barter for some of the other parts I need to keep this project going.  I don’t have the space to store them for a rainy day, and would like to move them on to someone that will use them.  So if anyone is local and needs a set of stock wheels please feel free to reach out to me.

So here are the tires that I am looking at.

-Heidenau-Thinking either a K44/K36 or a K34/K34 set up.  I hear great things from some of my vintage racer friends.  Not a lot of information on their street tires out there.  They really have a nice look to them.  Set looks to run about $260

-Avons-These are the go to tire for old Hondas.  I have run them in the past and have not had issues.  Just thinking about running something different on the Seeley though.  A set is about $200

-Bridgestone BT-45-Have really good reviews.  Set runs around $220

-Metzeler Lasertec-Used to be run on a bunch of bikes friends owned.  Seem to last well.  But they are $300 for a set.

-Dunlop GT501-Have run these before and really liked them.  They seem to be discontinued though.  Shame.

-Pirelli Sport Demon-These really come recommended and are priced well at $210 a set.

So lets hear some real world experiences and recommendations.

And because no post should be devoid of pictures.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Very very happy with BT45s (after using Bridgestone Spitfires, stockers and Avon Roadriders).
The Roadriders tracked the freeway pavement grooves too well to where I had speed wobbles at 77 mph and higher.

[Retro Rocket]

This might be getting slightly ahead of myself, but I would like to talk tires.  Since I am trying to keep this project from taking over my friends garage I would like to get it built up into a roller as fast as possible.  I will use the stock wire wheels from the parts bike for now, but the faster I can swap on the Lester mags the better.  My plan is to use the stock wheels to barter for some of the other parts I need to keep this project going.  I don’t have the space to store them for a rainy day, and would like to move them on to someone that will use them.  So if anyone is local and needs a set of stock wheels please feel free to reach out to me.

So here are the tires that I am looking at.

-Heidenau-Thinking either a K44/K36 or a K34/K34 set up.  I hear great things from some of my vintage racer friends.  Not a lot of information on their street tires out there.  They really have a nice look to them.  Set looks to run about $260

-Avons-These are the go to tire for old Hondas.  I have run them in the past and have not had issues.  Just thinking about running something different on the Seeley though.  A set is about $200

-Bridgestone BT-45-Have really good reviews.  Set runs around $220

-Metzeler Lasertec-Used to be run on a bunch of bikes friends owned.  Seem to last well.  But they are $300 for a set.

-Dunlop GT501-Have run these before and really liked them.  They seem to be discontinued though.  Shame.

-Pirelli Sport Demon-These really come recommended and are priced well at $210 a set.

So lets hear some real world experiences and recommendations.

And because no post should be devoid of pictures.

Don't leave out the Continentals Jag, great tires for these old bikes, are you running 19-18 or 18-18 combination wheels..?

[jaguar]

I had continentals on two Jaguars and hated them.  They couldn't go over an expansion joint without a flat, where noisy and generally bad.
Maybe thier motorcycke tires are different, but I can't get over the car tires.

[Roach Carver]

I have had two sets of the conti-go's . Nice tire but wear was not too good. I would like to try their new tire. Classic attack? I think it's called.

[Retro Rocket]

I had continentals on two Jaguars and hated them.  They couldn't go over an expansion joint without a flat, where noisy and generally bad.
Maybe thier motorcycke tires are different, but I can't get over the car tires.

Haha, their car tires are NOTHING like their bike tires, their newer vintage bike tires are radials made specifically for our bikes and are very popular in vintage motorcycle racing...   Classic attack 2's...

[seanbarney41]

Jag, I have used Lazertecs and loved 'em...extra durability probly makes up for the high price tag, and they grip nicely.  I just put Sport Demons on my VF500 and they are the grippyest tire I have ever experienced available in vintage bike sizes, I had some on a 750 too, but they were old and used but still worked really good...great tires.  Watch the mold release though!  Threw the Sport Demons on and flew out of the driveway hot and proceeded to drift five feet across the road! ...went back, changed underwear, wiped 'em down with some solvent like I should have in the first place and all was well.
    Avons are good too, had 'em on a 550 for a couple rides and they felt excellent but the bike got sold soon after...
    I have not tried BT45's or Conti's yet, I have always felt Dunlops wear out way too fast for their lack of grip, and whatever you do DON'T BUY SHINKO

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I'll hav to try the Sport Demons one of these days.

[jaguar]

that is one sexy bike